A father tries to uncover the bizarre therapy techniques being used
on his institutionalized wife amidst a series of brutal murders. HORROR
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The Brood (1979)Written and Directed by David Cronenberg
Starring Oliver Reed, Samantha Eggar, Art Hindle, Cindy Hinds, Nuala Fitzgerald, Henry Beckman, Susan Hogan |
I was not prepared for The Brood. It's a wild ride of grotesque imagery, horrific implications, and the darkest side of motherhood. Only the twisted, freakish mind of David Cronenberg could conjure a film like this. The film itself is a good watch and frightening at times, but you combine that with the bone-chilling score by Howard Shore and you get a movie that is going to stay with me for a long time. The Brood is built on the idea that the rage that builds inside of us can take on a life of its own and act as your impulses, even to kill.
Frank Carveth (Hindle) is a single dad whose wife Nola (Eggar) has been institutionalized due to mental instability. She lashes out and threatens her daughter. Nola is under the strict care of the unorthodox Dr. Hal Raglan (Reed), the leading expert in the experimental field of psychoplasmics, where one's emotions can literally manifest into living beings. In this case, rage. These creatures are running around town killing everyone whom Nola deems a threat to her mental betterment. Frank takes it upon himself to stop all this before his daughter gets hurt, and what he finds is just plain horrifying. It's the scene that everybody remembers from this film, the one you can see above. The Brood features a host of great performances, an unforgettable concept, an incredible score, and so much disturbing imagery. It's a horror gem that proved Cronenberg wasn't just a one-hit fluke with Shivers. He was here to stay. Be warned, though. Some of this imagery is not for the faint of heart. For some, this is pure nightmare fuel. |